Lonely No More
by kad88
Summary: Natsume often looks back and regrets his reactions toward youkai when fear prevented him from understanding them. In the present, one youkai from his past makes an appearance, causing him to reflect on how he isn't lonely anymore.


**AN: This is just a short one-shot 'what if' revolving around if Natsume met the youkai from his childhood again that appeared in the third episode way back in season one (for those that don't remember, it's the female-form youkai that disguised herself as a human to talk to little Natsume). I haven't read the manga yet, so I'm not sure if they do ever canonically meet again, but I'd like to think that they do.**

* * *

"Natsume, you idiot!"

Natsume groaned as Nishimura and Kitamoto paused their animated conversation.

"Was someone calling you, Natsume?" Kitamoto asked, looking around the mass of students exiting the school.

Natsume smiled sheepishly. "I don't think so, they were probably calling someone else."

The two other boys shrugged and continued to walk whilst Natsume searched for the owner of the familiar voice. Spotting his target near the front gate, Natsume sighed at the annoyed expression his teacher pulled off so well, even as a cat.

"What are you doing here, Nyanko-sensei?" Natsume asked, lifting the cat off the ground.

"Your cat sure seems to wander," Nishimura said with a laugh.

"I've been looking for you all day." Nyanko-sensei whispered much too loudly for Natsume's liking. He hushed the cat and glanced hesitantly at his friends, but they were too absorbed in conversation to notice the cat's behavior.

"Of course I'd be at school, Sensei," he said, a bit annoyed.

"Hmph, I'm a powerful youkai, Natsume. You can't expect me to keep track of such mundane matters."

"Lower your voice, Nyanko—"

"Everything alright, Natsume?" Nishimura and Kitamoto stared at Natsume questioningly.

"Ah, yes. Everything's find, sorry."

Rolling his eyes, Nyanko-sensei waited until the two returned to their conversation before whispering to Natsume. "Anyway, Hinoe informed me of a suspicious-looking youkai hanging around your school, so you'd better get me something to eat to make up for my protection."

It seemed that a single day could not go by without Natsume running into a new youkai of one kind or another. He only hoped it was a friendly youkai, just looking to have their name removed from the Book of Friends. Of a youkai did turn up, he wondered how he would complete the task without appearing rude and abruptly leaving his friends.

"Natsume!" Nishimura wrapped an arm around Natsume's shoulders, snapping him out of his thoughts. "A new takoyaki shop opened up a few blocks from the school. We should go."

Kitamoto lightly shoved Nishimura away. "What do you think, Natsume?"

"Let's go Natsume." Nyanko-sensei batted his paws on the top of Natsume's head before he could reply. "Takoyaki, takoyaki!" He chanted with each swipe.

"Sounds good," Natsume agreed, holding Nyanko-sensei's paw together to bring the annoying action to a halt.

"We should bring our bikes," Nishimura said, holding out his arms and grasping invisible handlebars.

"It would be quicker to just walk, Nishimura," Kitamoto sighed.

"But it's been forever since we've ridden our bikes together."

"Maybe another time," Natsume promised, but the two continued to bicker.

"Are you lonely, little boy?" A voice said, causing the hairs on the back of Natsume's neck to stand up. He scanned the streets for a hostile youkai, but didn't notice anything suspicious. In fact, the voice didn't sound threatening; it was somehow calming and nostalgic.

Natsume stopped, staring blankly across the road.

"Natsume? You coming?" Kitamoto asked.

"Ah," Natsume smiled. "I'll catch up with you in a bit. There's something I need to do."

"Is something wrong? You've seemed a little distracted"

"No, I just… see someone I knew a long time ago. Sorry." He bowed his apology and turned away.

"Oi, Natsume! If you go looking for trouble I'm not getting you out of it."

Natsume laughed and patted Nyanko-sensei's head. "It'll be fine, Sensei."

Natsume approached the woman, while Nyanko-sensei glared suspiciously.

She remained expressionless, but not uninviting. Natsume searched her eyes, wondering just how she would feel about seeing him again. Was she angry? Hurt? Indifferent? Somehow, Natsume felt indifference would be the worst. His experiences in the matter had yet to prove him wrong. He bowed.

"I am very sorry about our last meeting. You were kind to me, yet I was rude in return. Please forgive me."

Silence followed his outburst. Natsume kept his head down low, waiting. Worrying.

A gentle hand rested on the top of his head. Slowly, Natsume raised his eyes to see the woman smiling softly.

"You aren't lonely anymore." She observed.

Natsume returned her smile. "Yes," he said.

"I'm glad."

More silence followed as the woman scanned Natsume, something akin to pride in her eyes. Madara watched her carefully, but so far, he did not notice any ill-will resonating from the youkai. In fact, the familiarity she had with his prey annoyed him to no end.

"Miss," Natsume said at last, "You do not need to hide your true form from me, anymore. I know longer fear youkai."

Nyanko-sensei snorted. "That's why you almost get eaten every other day, idiot-Natsume."

Natsume rubbed Nyanko-sensei's head fondly. "Without reason," he amended.

"I see," the female-form youkai said, observing the interaction between Nyanko-sensei and Natsume. "But I prefer showing myself to you in the form we met in."

Natsume nodded in understanding.

"It was nice to see you again, little boy."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead bowed her head slightly and turned away.

"Ah, wait." Natsume took a couple steps forward, and the woman stopped without turning around. "If you are ever lonely or in trouble, you can stop by again sometime."

The youkai continued to walk away, but a small smile Natsume couldn't see graced her lips.

 _Smack._

"Ow, what was that for, Sensei?"

"Stop associating with youkai I don't know about. Do you want to get eaten?"

"I can't tell you about every youkai I've ever met in my life, Nyanko-sensei."

"Hmph. Hurry and meet with your friends. Those idiot-humans are probably waiting for you."

"Right, let's go, Sensei."

Natsume grabbed Nyanko-sensei from off his shoulder and held him close to his chest as he raced off in the direction of his friends.

"Natsume! Over here!" Nishimura shouted, waving his arms in the air with Kitamoto grinning next to him.

Natsume looked from his friends to Nyanko-sensei, still resting comfortably in his arms.

"Why are you grinning so unnaturally, Natsume?" Nyanko-sensei huffed, earning only a laugh in reply.

"Thank you Sensei, you saved me."

"Of course I did, so buy me some takoyaki." Nyanko-sensei replied, and though he couldn't think of a particularly recent experience in which he had saved the human, he wasn't one to pass up a meal.

"Alright," Natsume agreed, finally catching up with his friends.

'Don't worry, Miss. I'm not lonely anymore.'


End file.
